Carrier for cartons



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 nniilura INVENTOR EDGAR F. BROWN ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1959 E. F. BROWN 2,905,502

CARRIER FOR CARTONS Filed Feb. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR EDGAR F. BROWN ATTORNEY United States Patent CARRIER FOR CARTONS Edgar F. Brown, Bennington, Vt.

Application February 29, 1956, Serial No. 568,492

3 Claims. (Cl. 294-872) The present invention relates to a device for facilitating the packing of cartons-such as milk cartons-into a carrying box, crate or tray and which, thereafter, may be used as an article carrier in the delivery of the cartons, and their contents, by either'the route delivery man or by a purchaser from a store.

I-Ieretofore, milk cartons at a dairy have been picked up manually one-by-one from a conveyor or other supporting surface and placed in a box, crate or tray for delivery or distribution to a customers house or to a store; and, since it is now common practice to buy milk by the gallon, and since a gallon container is difiicult to carry and, further, since for general distribution it is desirable to package milk in quart cartons, the manner of conveniently carrying four quarts of milk, packaged in cartons, is a matter which has been of some concern to the milk distributing industry.

While numerous carriers for milk-cartons have been proposed, none of these carriers of which I have knowledge is of such construction as permits it to be loaded by directly engaging the carrier with cartons on a conveyor of a carton filling-machine, or other supporting surface, without the necessity of manually loading the cartons individually, and which device acts as a permanent holder for a plurality of cartons from that time until purchased by or delivered to the consumer of the contents thereof.

The main object and aim of the present invention is the provision of an improved carrier for milk-cartons, and the like, of an extremely simple, sturdy and novel construction and which enables an attendant to quickly load the carrier by moving it relatively to cartons on a supporting surface and then transferring the loaded carrier to a packing box or tray for delivery to a point of distribution and, thereafter, by which carrier the cartons may be further carried and handled by the purchaser or consumer until removed therefrom for use.

Other objects and'advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one 'form of the invention as at present devised and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carrier of this invention; a

Figure 2 is a plan view of the carrier shown in Figure 1, with the handle portion and cross-brace broken away, and illustrating its manner of use in picking up frontally a plurality of cartons from a conveyor belt or other surface leading from a carton filler machine;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken sub- "stantially on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view similar to Figure 2, showing a slight modification in the carrier to adapt it for picking up cartons moving in a direction transversely or laterally of'the carrier;

6-6 of Figure 5 and showing the cartons held in latched position on the carrier; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a standard delivery case packed with groups of cartons, to each group of which the article carrier of this invention is attached, respectively.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in which like characters of reference refer to similar and like parts throughout the several views, the carrier 10, specifically shown, is constructed and designed for carrying cartons C arranged in side-by-side pairs-that is to say, in blocks of four cartons eachso that these block-units may be readily received into and adequately fill the standard delivery case ortray 11 for transportation (see Fig. 7). As is more particularly shown in Figures 3 and 6, practically all milk-cartons ,C are substantially square in cross section and are provided at their upper rim portion, with a few exceptions, with a laterally projecting lip I usually form-ed by an inwardly depressed groove g extending about the perimeter of the carton, this groove g providing an inwardly projecting reinforcing rib for the rim portion of the carton C. Therefore, in devising the Figure 5 is a top plan view of a carton carrier with the I handle element broken away and illustrating a modification to show a latching member forvholding cartons on the carrier;

-, Figure 6 is-a-longitudina l sectional view taken on line present carrier, use is made of this lip l, and groove g, or their equivalent, extending around the rim portion of the carton.

The carrier 10 essentially comprises three rigid equispaced parallel approximately coextending fingers or tines 12 arranged in the same plane, the spaces between one end of the tines being closed to provide a stop 13 to limit the inward sliding movement of the cartons loaded therebetween, and the spacing and dimensions of said tines being such that any two thereof may be inserted under the lip l and be freely slid along opposite side walls (and/or the recesses or valleys g) of one or more cartons C so as to be partially embraced by the material of the cartons to sustain the weight of the cartons, and of their contents, when lifted by the carrier; and a handle 14 overlying and spaced from the tines 12.

More specifically, it is preferred to construct the carrier 10 basically from two strands a and b of wire-like material of sufficient rigidity as will maintain the shape or form, given to it for the purposes of this invention, against deformation during ordinary handling and use to which it may be subjected. The strand a has its end portions extending in the same direction at substantially right-angles to an intermediate portion, said end portions providing the outer two tines 12 while the intermediate portion provides the closed end or stop 13 of the carrier.

The strand b has its end portions extending in the same direction at substantially right-angles to its intermediate portion 15 and is disposed in a plane substantially at right-angles to the plane of the substantially U-shaped strand a and is secured, as by welding 16, at the juncture of its intermediate portion 15 with one of its end or leg portions to the intermediate center of the intermediate portion 13 of the shaped strand a so that one leg or end portion of the formed strand b provides the central or inner tine 12 of the carrier 10 and its other leg or end portion provides the overlying handle 14. It is preferred that the handle 14 be of slightly less length than the length of the tines 12, as shown more particularly in Figure 6.

The outer tines 12 may be, and preferably are, braced by a rigid rod-like bar 17 spanning the distance between said outer two tines to assure alignment thereof, this brace bar 17 having downwardly turned ends e secured at their extremities, as by welding, to the outer tines, respectively, at points remote from the closed end 13 of the carrierand, preferably, at the points midway of the length of said tines. Thus, the brace bar 17 is elevated out of the plane of the tines 12, but below t handle to provide clearance for the tops of the cartons C being loaded onto and being removed from the carrier.

Accordingly, it is to be seen that the carrier of this invention is a rigid supporting frame having straight, parallel elongated and equi-spaced fingers or tines positioned and dimensioned to permit them to be slid longi tudinally along opposite side walls of cartons, oro'ther containers, and between cartons in juxtaposition on a supporting surface, by the manipulation of the handle 14, to engage under a rim lip l, or its equivalent, whereby said carton may be picked off or picked up from a conveyor or other supporting surface S upon which said cartons rest. In order to facilitate this manipuiation of the carrier, at least oneof the tines 12 is of slightly longer length than the others for centering the carrier with respect to the carton to be slid therebetween. A p

In practice, cartons, that have been filled and sealed, are moved in two files together to a discharge point d used for the packaging of so that two cartons are abreast indirect contact with each other and in contact with those in front and those behind them on a conveyor S and, at said discharge point, they are removed individually from the conveyor S and placed into a delivery box 11 p a With the gatherer and carrier 10 of the present invention, such cartons may now be picked off the conveyor in groups by an attendant stationed in front of the discharge end d of the conveyor S. This is accomplished by the attendant holding the gatherer-carrier device 10 in the position shown in Figure 2 with the open ends of the tines ready to receive the cartons therebetween. In this use of the carrier, the center or inner tine 12 is made longer, by about V2 inch, so that it may be aligned to enter between the approaching pair of juxtapositioned cartons under the adjacent lips 1 thereof before the outer tines engage the opposite side walls of said pair of cartons, the cartons thereafter freely sliding into the carrier by the movement imparted by the conveyor until the carrier is loaded. When each gatherer-carrier 10 is loaded, the group of cartons gathered and held thereby are placed in the delivery box 11, as shown in Figure 7. 7

Should it be desirable or more convenient for the attendant to stand at one side of the discharge end of the 4 milk for general distribution than of other sizes. As an example of the dimensions to be used for carrying out this invention, particularly with quart-size cartons, the strand of wire a is 16 inches in length and inch in diameter; the strand b is 13% inches in length and V inch in diameter and the cross brace 17 is 7 inches in length and Ms inch in diameter. The center-to-center distances between the outer tines 12 is 5 inches; between the tip of the longest tine and the center of :the closed end 13 of the 'carrier is 5% inches; between the free end of the handle'and the intermediate-spacer portion 15 is 5% inches; the length of the spacer portion 15 of the handle is 2 inches and the distance of the brace bar 17 above the. tines is /6: inch.

Among the advantages of the present milk carton carrier, in addition to those that have been enumerated above, it is light and durable enough to withstand constant and reasonably hard use; it is sanitary, in that it has no,cracks,.notches or grooves to'trap or'retain dirt, spilled milk, etc. it is very simple in'construction and inexpensive to make; it is reusable, yet inexpensive enough to be expendable; it is readily used in connection with standard delivery cases now in use in the industry;

there is no problem of storage while in transit in the delivery cases or as stock at the plant; it does not restrict the reading of any labels, printing or seals on the containers;.it is;r igid, does not distort the containers and does not depend upon the resiliency of its material for the support of the load; it is adapted for easy loading from conveyor 8, at least one of the outer tines will be'the I longest, as indicated at 12 in Figure 4, and thecarrier will beheld in position so that, as the pairs of cartons move by the station, one will be engaged by the longest outer tine, thereby aligning the carrier with that pair. It is preferred, however, that the other tines (when there are more than two) are progressively shorter, as indicated at 12 and 12, for facilitating the alignment. Theattendant then will move the carrier transversely of the conveyor to pick up a pair or two pairs, as the. case may be, of cartons. For this purpose, it may be desirable to provide a backboard, indicated atrF, to facilitate the loading of the cartons into the carrier because the movement of the cartons on the conveyoris not assisting in the loading of the carrier. 7

When such loaded carriers are distributed to stores or markets where milk is purchased by the consumer, it is desirable to latch the cartons on the carrier to prevent their accidental displacement from the carrier while being transported by the purchaser. For this purpose, a, latch member 18 is provided in the form of a yoke member having its free ends pivoted to the brace rod 17. The distal end of said yoke member is extended laterally to form a downwardly directed detent 18 the latch member being so proportioned and dimensioned that it will span two rows of cartons at the open end of the carrier and, when in its latching position, as, shown in Figure. 6, will engage with the lip l on the adjacent cartons and prevent the cartons from moving out'of the open end of the carrier.

The carrier-shown in the drawings is designedgto carry four l-quart' cartons; The carrier may he designed" to carry anyother number of cartons and cartons of other sizes. However, a greater number of quart cartons, are

any direction with respect to a conveying surface; it will withstand wide extremes in temperatures without affecting its holding characteristics due to variation in resiliency with change in temperature; it will improve the efiiciency of the plant man andthe rnnte manby not having to fumble with individual containers, thus speeding their work; in delivering 'of milk by the route man, where less than a full carrier of containers is desired, one or more containers may be easily slid from the holder; and the present carrier will not damage the containers or cartons nor the sealed caps while unloading or loading the carrier with .such cartons. v w p Having thus described the invention and the manner in which the same is .to be performed, it is to be under stood that the invention isnot' to be limited to the exact form and constructionhereinshown anddescribed as the same is susceptible of variation or modification, and, therefore, the invention is only to be limited by the scope of the appended claims. i That which isclaimed as newand to;be secured by Letters Patent is: i r

1'. A gathering and carrying device. for milkcartons comprising two: U-shaped members ofa wire-like material having their leg portions substantially straight and par-.- allel and extending in the same direction; one of'said U-shaped members being disposed in a plane at substantiaily right-angles to the other U-shaped member and having its closed end', adjacent one of its legs, rigidly secured to the central intermediate portion of the closed end of said other U-shaped member with its said lastmentioned leg lying between and in the same plane as the legs ofthe; other U-shaped member and e ui-spaced therefrom to form a pair of spacedcarton-receiving passages therebetween'and with its other leg overlying the said cam'er to provide a handle therefor, said passageforming legs being dimensioned topermit adjacent legs References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Keister Aug. 21, 1917 6 Hofiman Ian. 5, 1937 Ransom May 6, 1947 Reutner Sept. 2, 1947 Ulbrich Dec. 16, 1947 Dreher Feb. 8, 1949 Gribskov et a1. June 1, 1954 

